Convertible camper&#39;s cupboard



June 18', 1963 D. POYER CONVERTIBLE CAMPER'S CUPBOARD 2 Sheets$heet 1 Filed March 27. 1961 INVENTOR. flA V/D jaw 4 TTOF/VEY June 18, 1963 D. PQYER 3,094,361

CONVERTIBLE CAMPER'S CUPBOARD Filed March 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "mm r" INVENTOREW 0/! W0 P0 V51? UnitedStates Patent 0.

3,094,361 CONVERTIBLE CAMPERS CUPBOARD David Foyer, 6129 Vineland, North Hollywood, Calif. Filed Mar. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 98,413 3 Claims. c1. 312-6) This invention relates to a campers cupboard and has for an object to provide a storage device of this character that is adapted to be converted from a flat-folded condition to a standing or hanging cupboard, as desired, or to a table or carrying litter, thereby providing a device that has considerable flexibility and facility of use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cupboard of the character above referred to that is enclosed, yet foldable without separation of the enclosure from the structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a cupboard of the type referred to, novel and improved support leg means that is quickly moved to one of several different positions according to the converted form of the cupboard.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a convertible campers cupboard according to the present invention and shown in free-standing arrangement, a portion of an enclosure for the cupboard being omitted to clarify the showing.

FIG. 2 is a broken side elevational view of the present structure converted into a table, the view showing an additional conversion to a litter.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged and fragmentary detail view of means to hold :leg means used in said structure in selected positions according to the converted positions of the cupboard.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view showing the present campers cupboard in converted arrangement as a hanging or suspended structure, the enclosure of FIG. 1 being omitted.

FIG. 5 is a broken bottom plan view of the device in its folded condition and particularly showing the support leg features.

The present campers cupboard comprises, generally, foldable storage means 10, a flexible, foldable enclosure 11 for the storage means 10, means 12 for bracing the means in erected position and movable from bracing position to a position serving as a hanger for the cupboard, means 13 to support the cupboard when in free-standing arrangement, to support the device when in flat-folded form to produce a campers table, and to serve as litter supports, and means 14 to releasably lock said support means 13 in a selected position according to the converted position of the storage means 10.

The storage means 10* is shown as a plurality of rectangular members 20 in stacked relation so they will lie flat one on the other. The outer member 20a constitutes a top, the others, shelves for storing various items, such as food, dishes, utensils and the like. Said members 20 are connected by flexible, non-stretchable tapes 21 at the front, sides and rear, said tapes having any suitable arrangement, but providing at least one open side 22 in the means 10 for access to the interior thereof. By disposing some of the tapes so they are normal to the planes of the member-s 20 and the others to form diagonals, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, swaying displacement between the different members 20 is eliminated, particularly when the device is arranged as a. hanging storage cupboard.

Said tapes 21 are tautened by the bracing means 12 when the device is arranged as a free-standing cupboard and are-rendered ta-ut by the weight of the members 20 when the same is arranged as a hanging cupboard. Yet the tapes readily fol-d to lie folded between adjacent members 20 when the device is folded as in FIG. 2, for instance.

The enclosure 11 is preferably formed to have end walls 23, a rear wall 24, front wall sections 25 that define an opening which is in substantial register with the open side 22 above mentioned, and a closure flap 26 for said front wall that may be separably connected along the edges 27 to the front wall sections 25. The slide 28 suggests a slide fastener connection that may be opened so that the flap 26 may be loosened and thrown back to expose the open side 22. By connecting the upper and lower edges of the enclosure walls to the marginal edges of the outer member 20a and the member 20 on the side opposite thereto, leaving only the lower end of the flap 26 unsecured, the present cupboard is safely protected from disturbance by animals and some insects and particularly from the elements. Water-impervious canvas and the like may be used to form said enclosure.

The means 12 is shown as a pair of similar bails, each having a hinge portion 29 extending across the outer face of outer member 20a, an opposite and parallel portion 30 with a loop 31 formed therein for suspension purposes, and connecting portions 32 for the portions 29 and 30. Each bail has a generally rectangular form with the portions 29 and 30 somewhat longer than the frontto-back depth of the storage means 10 and the portions 29 longer than the extended height of the storage means. The above-described bails, by means of their portions 29, are connected by hinge fittings 33 inward of but adjacent to the opposite edges of the member 20a. Thus, the portions 32 may lie along the outside, front and back of the storage means, as in FIG. 1, to bring the portions 30' below the bottom of the storage means so that the bails may be separably connected to the support means 13, as will later be made clear.

The two bails may be folded flat against the member 20a, as in FIG. 2, and swung upwardly on their hinge fittings 33, as in FIG. 4, when the device is converted into a hanging structure. In the latter case, the loops 31 engage a support 34 so the storage means may hang.

The means 13 is shown as two U-shaped support members comprising legs 34 connected by portions 35, the latter portions being connected by hinge fittings 36 to the bottom of the lowermost shelf member 20. The portions 35 are adapted to rotate so the legs may adjustably swing between positions parallel to the plane of said member 20, whether as in FIGS. 4 and 5 or the dot-dash lines of FIG. 2, or normal to said latter member 20, whether as in FIG. 1 or in the full line position of FIG. 2.

As hereinbefore indicated, the braces of means 12 are connected to the legs 34 adjacent the corners where said legs join the respective portions 35. Suitable bolts with wing nuts 37 are here used for making such connections, thereby bracing the structure to the legs.

The means 14 is used to lock the legs in one of the four adjusted positions thereof, as above described. Said means comprises a spring-biased detent '38 carried by a bracket 39 so as to enter holes 40 in portion 35 of each U-shaped support member. Said detents may be retracted manually by a pull on end 41 and the same project automatically to enter the holes 40 that are in register therewith. By providing four holes 40, at 90 spacing in each member 35, the means 13 may be locked in desired position according to the converted arrangement of the cupboard.

T-ie members 42 may be used to hold the cupboard folded up either when stored or when the same is in use as a table or litter, as in FIG. 2.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A convertible campers cupboard comprising (a) a plurality of shelves with flexible members extending between and connecting the shelves,

(b) a pair of similar bails hingedly connected to one outer shelf inwardly spaced from the opposite ends of said outer shelf and adapted to be swung to a position extended from said outer shelf to constitute a pair of hangers for said plurality of shelves while the portions of the flexible members between the shelves suspend the respective shelves in spaced relation one beneath the other,

(c) foldable legs mounted on the opposite outer shelf and movable between a position folded flat against the latter shelf and an extended position to support said latter shelf, and

4 (d) means locking the bails to the legs after said bails are swung from their positions as hangers over and around the opposite ends of the plurality of shelves, threby constituting the bails braces supporting the upper shelf from the legs while said flexible members hold the several shelves separated one from the other. 2. A convertible campers cupboard according to claim 1 in which means on the leg-mounting outer shelf is provided to lock the legs, when in support position, to the shelf on which they are mounted.

3. A convertible campers cupboard according to claim 1 in which the foldable legs are connected to the mentioned outer shelf adjacent the opposite ends thereof, the bails, when arranged as hangers, being inclined toward each other from their hinges and, when locked to the legs, being inclined away from each other to form downwardly diverging braces for the cupboard shelves.

References Cited in the file of this patent :UNITED STATES PATENTS 485,309 Weightrnan Nov. 1, 1892 680,451 Broadt Aug. 13, 1901 1,064,928 Pape June 17, 1927 1,640,083 Ladd Aug. 23, 1927 1,709,927 Whitney Apr. 23, 1929 2,378,231 Logan June 12, 1945 2,440,192 Cowan Apr. 20, 1948 2,497,156 Davis Feb. 14, 1950 2,667,392 Sexton Jan. 26, 1954 2,683,507 Coven July 13, 1954 

1. A CONVERTIBLE CAMPER''S CUPBOARD COMPRISING (A) A PLURALITY OF SHELVES WITH FLEXIBLE MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND CONNECTING THE SHELVES, (B) A PAIR OF SIMILAR BIALS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO ONE OUTER SHELF INWARDLY SPACED FROM THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID OUTER SHELF AND ADAPTED TO BE SWUNG TO A POSITION EXTENDED FROM SAID OUTER SHELF TO CONSTITUTE A PAIR OF HANGERS FOR SAID PLURALITY OF SHELVES WHILE THE PORTIONS FO THE FLEXIBLE MEMBERS BETWEEN THE SHELVES SUSPEND THE RESPECTIVE SHELVES IN SPACED RELATION ONE BENEATH THE OTHER, (C) FOLDABLE LEGS MOUNTED ON THE OPPOSITE OUTER SHELF AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A POSITION FOLDED FLAT AGAINST THE LATTER SHELF AND AN EXTENDED POSITION TO SUPPORT SAID LATTER SHELF, AND (D) MEANS LOCKING THE BAILS TO THE LEGS AFTER SAID BAILS ARE SWUNG FROM THEIR POSITIONS AS HANGERS OVER AND AROUND THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE PLURALITY OF SHELVES, THEREBY CONSITITUTING THE BAILS BRACES SUPPORTING THE UPPER SHELF FROM THE LEGS WHILE SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBERS HOLD THE SEVERAL SHELVES SEPARATED ONE FROM THE OTHER. 